Cherry Barb fishes are a vividly colored barb fish that are among the most popular in the barb family. Aquarists of all levels enjoy their vibrant colors and educational nature.
They are tough fish, making them ideal for both experts and beginners. If you’re just getting started, take a look at the process of setting up your fish tank and the time it takes.
We’ve been advocating the Cherry Barb as a superb freshwater fish for years. This species is attractive and entertaining to watch. The Cherry Barb is a fantastic choice if you place a high priority on the appearance of the fish in your tank.
Contents Overview
Cherry Barb Characteristics
- Common Name: Cherry Barb
- Scientific Name: Puntius titteya
- Care Level: Easy
- Color: Red with a dark band from head to tail
- Lifespan: 5-6 years
- Size: 1-2 inches
- Diet: Omnivore
- Family: Cyprinidae
- pH: 6.0 to 7.0
- Hardness: 4 to 10 dkH
- Temperature: 74 to 79 F (23 to 27 C)
- Minimum Tank Size: 25 gallons
- Tank Setup: Planted community
Origin of Cherry Barb
The cherry barb belongs to the Cyprinidae family of tropical freshwater fish. It’s a native of Sri Lanka, but introduced populations have established themselves in Mexico and Colombia.
Cherry Barb is a Sri Lankan native. The Kelani to Nilwala basins are home to them. More vibrantly colored individuals are heavily overfished due to their appeal in the aquarium sector. The fish can be found in Sri Lanka’s freshwater ponds and slow-moving water sources.
Cherry Barb Appearance
Barbs have a slender, elongated body that measure around 2 inches long. They have a lateral stripe that runs from the top of their head to the bottom of their tail. Males are more reddish-cherry in color, whereas females are paler.
Males are more reddish-cherry in color, whereas females are paler. Females have a browner body-length lateral line. Females have a fuller stomach, whilst males are slightly leaner and have a brighter complexion.
When placed in a planted aquarium, these fish add a lot of color. They will be constantly moving and capturing the gaze of everybody passing by due to their schooling nature.
Lifespan of Cherry Barb
On average, Cherry Barbs survive for 5 years. This longevity is predicated on adequate water conditions, habitat design, and tank mate care.
Plants should be plentiful in the tank, but the fish also require free area to swim. Cherry barbs have a four-year lifespan, but if properly cared for, they can survive up to seven years.
Cherry Barb Colors and Markings
Cherry Barbs are vividly colored, long, skinny fish. They are brilliant red, as the name implies, with the male species being more colorful than the females, which are tanner in hue. Females also appear to be fatter than males.
During the spawning season, male Cherry Barbs have a more prominent red color. The majority of Cherry Barbs will be tan to dark brown with red or orange hues. A darker line of scales runs along the midline and lateral line of all Cherry Barbs.
Cherry Barb Habitat and Care
Habitat
Cherry Barbs are endemic to Sri Lanka, but they are currently seen in big groups in densely shaded, quiet bodies of water in Mexico and Colombia.
They thrive in wet environments, which suggest they’ve adapted to a tropical climate with little temperature variation.
The cherry barb’s native habitat is a water body that is highly shaded, shallow, and tranquil. Its natural habitat is a salty, leaf-covered substrate.
It prefers water with a pH of 6 to 8, water hardness (dH) of 5 to 19, and a temperature range of 73 to 81°F to 81 °F (23 °C to 27 °C).
Care
Cherry Barbs tend to congregate in groups; you may need to provide a plethora of hiding spots to accommodate multiple fish at once. Barbs thrive in planted tanks because they have good water quality and enough of hiding spots.
As long as you keep up with your regular maintenance, they are simple to care for. In planted tanks, make careful to remove dead plant material on a regular basis and monitor pH changes from day to night.
Cherry Barb maintenance is fairly easy to do and can be done by anyone. This makes them an excellent choice for beginners seeking for a beautiful yet low-maintenance freshwater fish.
Tank Conditions
Cherry barbs are tough and can handle a variety of tank conditions. They’re tropical fish; therefore they’ll need to be kept in an aquarium with a consistent water temperature of 74-80 degrees Fahrenheit (23.3-26.7 degrees Celsius).
Cherry Bard fish require a tank that is at least 25 to 30 gallons in size. This will allow you to fit a school of these fish into a single tank without them feeling crowded.
You should make sure that Cherry Barb fish has the correct tank size and environment. They are simple to care for as long as they are provided with the proper circumstances and habitat.
Tank mates of Cherry Barb
Cherry Barb spices prefer to be in small groups, so make sure you have enough room for 5-6 fish. Fish that are peaceful or even somewhat larger bottom-feeders are usually fine.
Cherry Barb fishes are very tranquil fish and should be kept with other fish of the same temperament. Barbs will get along swimmingly with fish like tetras, Celestial Pearl Danios, and Glass Catfish.
Shrimp and other invertebrates share this tranquil disposition. So go ahead and add ghost shrimp, cherry shrimp, or mystery snails if you want to.
There are a variety of peaceful communal fish that would do well in a tank with a Cherry Barb. Before you bring them home, double-check that their water parameters are compatible.
Cherry Barb Diet and Feeding
In the wild, a Cherry Barb’s food is highly diverse. These fish are omnivores, meaning they will consume almost anything they come across. In the wild, a Cherry Barb’s food is highly diverse.
These fish are omnivores, meaning they will consume almost anything they come across. While these fish aren’t afraid to eat little parts of vegetation that fall into the water, they prefer small creatures!
To augment their daily diet, they can eat high-quality flake, freeze-dried, and frozen foods, as well as some protein-rich foods like brine shrimp, black worms, or bloodworms.
Cherry Barb Breeding
Cherry Barbs are very easy to breed. Unlike some other species, you don’t have to put forth a lot of effort to start the process. Cherry Barbs are egg-spattering fish who do not provide much care to their young.
When mating, the male swims with the female, chasing competing males away. The female will lay 200 to 300 eggs, which she will distribute on the plants and the substrate. It is allowed to eat own eggs as well as young fry.
The eggs hatch in one to two days, and the fry can swim on their own after another two days. The hatchlings will be around 1 cm long and identified as cherry barbs after five weeks.
Plants are essential since that is where they lay their eggs. You can use a spawning mop to catch the eggs, which should be sufficient. A spawning mop is a length of soft thread or sponge that collects the eggs and makes collecting them easier.
Summary
The Cherry Barb is a fish that we can’t recommend enough. Time and time again we’ve encouraged other aquarists to get them, and the feedback always comes back great!
The Cherry Barb is a popular freshwater fish that is easy to care for and will give you hours of relaxing enjoyment. There’s nothing quite like seeing your fish swim around the tank together.
It’s all downhill from there once you’ve gotten them. You’ll spend numerous hours watching them swim about like little red bullets in the aquarium.
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